Pavilion of Prince Teng
| Pavilion of Prince Teng | |||||||||||||||||
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 "Pavilion of Prince Teng" in Simplified (top) and Traditional (bottom) Chinese characters | |||||||||||||||||
| Traditional Chinese | Đằng vương các | ||||||||||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | Đằng vương các | ||||||||||||||||
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ThePavilion of Prince Teng(traditional Chinese:Đằng vương các;simplified Chinese:Đằng vương các;pinyin:Téngwáng Gé) is a building in the North West of the city ofNanchang,inJiangxiprovince,China,on the east bank of theGan Riverand is one of theThree Great Towers of southern China.The other two are theYueyang Towerand theYellow Crane Pavilion.It has been destroyed and rebuilt many times over its history. The present building was rebuilt in 1989 on the original site. The rebuilding plan was devised by the architectLiang Sicheng,and now the Pavilion of Prince Teng is the landmark of Nanchang. There are nine floors in total. The main architectural structure is inSong dynastywooden style, showing the magnificence of the Pavilion.
History
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The Pavilion of Prince Teng was first built in 653 AD, byLi Yuanying,the younger brother ofEmperor Taizong of Tangand uncle ofEmperor Gaozong of Tang.Li Yuanying was enfeoffed as Prince Teng in 639 and spent his early years inSuzhou.In 652 he was assigned the governorship of Nanchang where the pavilion served as his townhouse.The Pavilion of Prince Teng is the only existing royal architecture in southern China.[citation needed]Twenty years later, the building was rebuilt by the new governor. Upon its completion, a group of local intelligentsia gathered to compose prose and poetry about the building. The most famous of these is thePreface to the Pavilion of Prince TengbyWang Bo.This piece made the Pavilion of Prince Teng a household name in China down to the present day.
The Pavilion was subsequently destroyed and rebuilt a total of 29 times over the next centuries.[1]The building itself changed shape and function many times. The penultimate construction was during theTongzhiera of theQing Dynasty.That building was destroyed in October 1926 during the chaoticWarlord Era.[2]
Recent
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The present Pavilion of Prince Teng was built according to the design of architectLiang Sicheng,and was completed on 8 October 1989; now a landmark of Nanchang. The building is ofreinforced concrete,but decorated inSong Dynastystyle. It is 57.5 meters (189 ft) tall and has nine stories. The building has a total floor area of 13,000 square meters (140,000 sq ft).
The building sits atop a 12 meters (39 ft) tall concrete platform, which symbolizes the now-destroyed ancientcity wall.A stainless steel tablet at the entrance is engraved with a calligraphy work ofMao Zedong:“Lạc hà dữ cô vụ tề phi, thu thủy cộng trường thiên nhất sắc.”( "Falling snow and lone goose flying together; a single hue, autumn water and the long stretch of sky." ), a quotation fromPreface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng.
The garden was also built in 1989. The building mainly serves as a tourist attraction. Apart from internal decoration, attractions include a theater that stages performances of period music and displays of reconstructed ancient instruments. There are some restaurants and souvenir shops. The streets around the pavilion have been designed to conform with its style. This area has become the epicenter of Nanchang's antiques trade.
Influences
[edit]The Pavilion of Prince Teng achieved national fame through thePreface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng.As a result, it was endowed by later generations with almost legendary status as an example of magnificent architecture. When theForbidden Citywas built, its corner towers were built to imitate the Pavilion of Prince Teng and the Yellow Crane Pavilion as depicted in Song Dynasty paintings. (Strangely, both pavilions are depicted identically in surviving paintings). These uniquely structured corner towers remain some of the most valued architectural treasures of the Forbidden City. The Pavilion of Prince Teng was very highly regarded in several dynasties during the history of China. It also served as an ancient library, storing a large number of precious scriptures and poems.
Construction timeline
[edit]According to Wang:[3]
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 653 | Constructed |
| 675 | Reconstructed |
| 790 | Reconstructed |
| 820 | Reconstructed |
| 848 | Reconstructed after being destroyed in a fire |
| 1108 | Reconstructed. Smaller structures added to the north and south of the main pavilion. The northern structure is named "Pulling Emerald-Green Pavilion" (Chinese:Ấp thúy đình;pinyin:Yì Cuì Tíng) and the southern structure is named "Pressing River Pavilion" (Chinese:Áp giang đình;pinyin:Yā Jiāng Tíng). |
| 1294 | Placed on top of the city walls after being damaged several times during wars. |
| 1336 | Reconstruction started in 1334 and completed in 1336 |
| 1436 | Reconstructed after sinking into the river. It is renamed "Greeting Kindness Hall" (Chinese:Nghênh ân đường;pinyin:Yíng Ēn Táng). |
| 1452 | Reconstructed after being destroyed in a fire. It is renamed "Number 1 Building in Xi Jiang" (Chinese:Tây giang đệ nhất lâu;pinyin:Xī Jiāng Dí Yì Lóu). |
| 1468 | Reconstructed after it collapses. Its original name restored. |
| 1527 | Reconstructed after being destroyed earlier in theChen Hao Uprising(Chinese:Thần hào chi loạn;pinyin:Chén Háo zhi Luàn). |
| 1599 | Reconstructed after being near collapse. |
| 1616 | Reconstructed after being destroyed in a fire. |
| 1634 | Reconstruction starts in 1633 and completes the following year. |
| 1648 | Destroyed when it catches fire while defendingMinggenerals torch surrounding area to open a clear perimeter against advancingQingtroops. |
| 1654 | Reconstructed |
| 1679 | Reconstructed after being destroyed in a fire. |
| 1682 | Reconstructed after being destroyed in a fire. |
| 1685 | Reconstructed after being destroyed in a fire. |
| 1702 | Reconstructed |
| 1706 | Reconstructed after being destroyed in a fire. |
| 1731 | Destroyed in a fire |
| 1736 | Reconstructed |
| 1743 | Reconstructed and again renamed "Number 1 Building in Xi Jiang". |
| 1788 | Reconstructed after it collapses. |
| 1805 | Reconstructed |
| 1812 | Reconstructed |
| 1847 | Reconstructed twice after multiple fires. |
| 1853 | Destroyed with much of Nanchang in a three-day fire duringTai Ping Rebellionattack. |
| 1873 | Reconstruction started in 1872 and completed the following year. |
| 1909 | Reconstructed after being destroyed in a fire. |
| 1926 | Destroyed by defenders when Nanchang is attacked by theNorthern Expedition. |
| 1935 | An attempt to reconstruct is halted due to the Japanese invasion. |
| 1985 | Reconstructed |
| 1991 | The smaller buildings "Pulling Emerald-Green Pavilion" and "Pressing River Pavilion" are restored. |
Gallery
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Prince Teng Pavilion byXia Yong,Yuan dynasty -
Prince Teng Pavilion by anonymous,Yuan dynasty -
Pavilion of Prince Teng byWang Zhenpeng,Yuan dynasty -
Prince Teng Pavilion by anonymous,Yuan dynasty
See also
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Notes
[edit]References
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- Wang, Qiaolin (Chinese:Vương xảo lâm;pinyin:Wáng Qiǎolín) et al. 1996.Jiangnan Famous Site: The Pavilion of Prince Teng(simplified Chinese:Giang nam danh thắng đằng vương các;traditional Chinese:Giang nam danh thắng đằng vương các;pinyin:Jiāngnán Míngshèng Téngwáng Gé). Baihuazhou Literary Press (Chinese:Bách hoa châu văn nghệ xuất bản xã;pinyin:Báihuāzhōu Wényì Chūbǎnshè). 247 pages.ISBN7-80579-797-8.